Week 18 doesn’t mean anything to the Jets from a playoff standpoint, but it does for their two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Wins and losses will be shifting the big board around, so where exactly could Jets GM Joe Douglas be picking come April?
Heading into this weekend, they currently own the No. 4 and No. 7 overall picks. Here’s what could change:
(Full Disclaimer: Strength of schedule, via Tankathon, can change depending on how teams finish the season. So the numbers you see here are all entering Week 18)
Jets No. 4 Pick Outcomes
The Jets currently own this pick with a record of 4-12 because of their .515 strength of schedule (the higher the percentage, the higher the win total of opponents for the year). The Houston Texans (.496 SOS) get No. 3 because their schedule is easy, while the Giants (.537 SOS) are behind the Jets.
This pick, though, can land anywhere between No. 3 and No. 6.
Here are the basic scenarios:
– No. 3 Pick: NYJ loses while HOU wins
– No. 4 Pick: NYJ loses while HOU loses OR NYJ, HOU, NYG and CAR (.507 SOS) all win
– No. 5 Pick: NYJ wins while HOU and NYG lose
– No. 6 Pick: NYJ wins and HOU, NYG, and CAR all lose
Jets No. 7 Pick Outcomes
This pick comes from the Seattle Seahawks as their second first-rounder given in the Jamal Adams trade.
The Jets probably didn’t expect this plummet from Seattle, but they won’t be complaining.
Now, this pick can fall anywhere between No. 7 and No. 11 depending on what happens. Let’s break it down, starting with if Seattle loses and falls to 6-11 on the year:
– No. 7 Pick: SEA loses (even if No. 6 CAR wins, they have easier SOS so pick remains the same)
Simple enough, right? But what about if they win. We do know two scenarios that would occur:
– No. 8 Pick: SEA wins and CHI or WSH loses. CAR must also lose
– No. 9 Pick: SEA wins while CHI and WSH lose as well as ATL, DEN, and MIN all win
From there a mix-and-match situation could occur that may force Seattle’s pick up or down. This is the case due to four teams being 7-9 with different strengths of schedule.
But Jets fans can all agree seeing Seattle lose to the Arizona Cardinals this week would be ideal to land that No. 7 selection.
As for the Jets themselves, some fans may be rooting for the higher pick. But they can also play spoiler against an opponent who needs a win to secure their second consecutive AFC East title in the Buffalo Bills.